Ailes Newspaper Cancels Fox News Book Author’s Subscription

Fox News chief Roger Ailes is apparently not happy about a forthcoming book about his conservative news network.

While reporting on a budding newspaper war north of Manhattan, and involving Roger Ailes’ wife’s Putnam County News and Record, New York magazine contributing editor Gabe Sherman — who is penning what is said to be an exhaustively reported book on Fox — discovered that the paper canceled his subscription.Because of the book, “we don’t desire to have a relationship with you,” Editor Doug Cunningham told Sherman when he called to ask about the canceled subscription. Roger Ailes purchased the paper and transferred ownership to Elizabeth Ailes, who is also the paper’s publisher.

Sherman’s book must be quite a read. The New York Daily Newsreported in April that Ailes was helping conservative writer Zev Chafets fast-track a book about Fox News, apparently to “scoop” Sherman’s effort, which is due out in 2013.

Sherman declined to comment, saying his “reporting speaks for itself.” He wrote on Twitter that the newspaper didn’t charge his credit card. When Sherman’s wife tried to subscribe, her order was also canceled. Gawker’s John Cook, another thorn in Ailes’ side, also posted on Twitter that the paper promptly canceled his subscription.

Cunningham confirmed to TPM that the paper canceled the subscription, but declined to comment further.